Do-It-Yourself: Home Office Redesign
For the past 6 years, half of my home office was occupied by a full changing table, diaper can and dresser of extra clothes. We even kept the cordless vacuum hung in this room. Last year when we started potty training our last child, I decided to take back this room as my own.
Operation: Home Office Redesign
I say redesign and not renovation since nothing was structurally changed about this space. In this post I've unveiled my design vision, creative process and where I got mostly everything.
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Before
Inspiration
Now it was time to upgrade the design of the room to really reflect my style. I started a mood board with inspiration from Pinterest:
Semi-Demo
First thing we needed to do was to remove the pinstripe wallpaper and plastic wall-corner guards. I enlisted my bestie Jen's help and surprisingly, the wallpaper peeled right off in one pull. VERY satisfying to the sensory system too 😉
Furniture
The keys to a good home office redesign is comfort first and then style. I knew I wanted a large desk to and executive chair to be the focal point of the room and comfiest place to work. I purchased my desk and chair three-ish years back from Wayfair. Below are the links:
Next, I wanted a second chair to add another option for working, reading, taking all those zoom conferences and also if a guest (mostly my husband or kids) wanted to sit purchase was the corner chair. I loved the wingback & tufted look, and wanted that cognac faux leather style incorporated as well. Found this perfect one, also from Wayfair:
I didn't like the continuous brown for the seat and the legs, and wanted to match the black metal aesthetic to the other furniture in the room. So, I grabbed some chalkboard spray paint and changed the legs to a matte black! Bibbidy-boppity-boo!
This corner has become my go-to zoom call location and where my husband comes to sit and work with me when he feels lonely in his own office downstairs. Love this cozy spot!
Paint
Now that the walls were free from wallpaper, I spackled the holes, sanded smooth and created a blank canvas with white paint. My go-to white is Polar Bear 75 by Behr Paints. The massive built-in bookshelf that took up the entire wall needed a facelift. I couldn't prime and paint this giant by myself, so we hired the pros to get it done. I debated on the exact green that I wanted, and landed on Rainforest by Behr Paints. I'm completely in love with the color and how it turned out!
Built-in Bookshelf Decor
As you can see from the "before" photos, I purged and donated a lot of books that didn't serve a current purpose. Did you know there is an art/science to decorating a bookshelf? Sure the primary function is to hold books... HOWEVER to achieve a full-design aesthetic, you have to strategically plan each piece and placement. I found some tips on this article: How to Style a Bookshelf
I arranged and rearranged these MULTIPLE times. As I gradually added more items from random trips to target and Homegoods, I shifted things around to balance them out. The hardest part was decorating the highest shelves that you can barely see (pieces that don't require a full view are best placed here). Here are some insider notes/anecdotes on some pieces:
The globe is an antique. Well, at least 30+ years old passed on from my father to me when I was younger. It still lights up when you plug it in!
I grouped the books loosely by topic/genre and played around with the orientation
Tissue box covers are my new quick fix decor hack to keep with your room's aesthetic. I found this faux leather one on Amazon: Tissue Box Cover
Because we are a multicultural household, I wanted to pay homage to our roots. Also, the boys always steal these flags and play "parade". This cute house was a $3 Target find in the Bulls-eye Playground area.
We had invited President Obama and the First Lady to our wedding in 2014 since we are local to DC. They politely declined but sent this congratulatory note instead.And the left framed photo was our proposal on the national mall 😊
Gold Accent Wall
I researched gold and white wallpaper, and realized I'd be spending over $200 for a 5x10' wall. So instead, I bought some gold washi tape from Amazon for $15 and created my own design! Very easy to apply and can remove and adjust as needed. I used about 1/2 a roll.
Greenery
Sorry to disappoint, but all of the plants in this room are fake. There is just not enough natural light to sustain life in here! But, that didn't mean we had to compromise on quality of the style. The potted Banana Leaf Plant next to the tufted chair is from Target and only $30!
A few other faux tiny potted plants are from Target as well for under $20. I wanted to incorporate some greenery on the walls as well. I had seen some geometric planters in white and gold which went perfect with the design aesthetic. I added some faux succulents to them, including those that cascade down for added dimension.
The rest of the succulents I added to a gold, glass terrarium on the built-in bookshelf
Gallery Wall
I knew I wanted a gallery wall with artwork that really showcased my personality and passions: OT in women's health, female, libra and mom (special tribute to my angel baby, Coby). I kept with the black and gold aesthetic for each frame and very minimalist with the artwork itself. I absolutely love single-line art. I chose each piece from individual vendors on Etsy, as I love to support small businesses as well.
DIY tips: arrange the frames on the floor prior to hanging, measuring the space between each. Using command velcro strips was a lot easier/fool-proof way to go vs traditional nail/hooks
So that is my home office redesign in a nutshell!
There are pieces that may not be linked, but feel free to DM me on instagram to ask about if you'd like the info.
Do you have plans to redesign your home office to make it a more personalized space or area to lounge in? Would love to know the details!
xo, Carolyn
Hey, I’m Carolyn
This space is dedicated to caring for ourselves, without compromise.
I’m a working mom of three young boys (all under seven — it’s chaos around here) and run a therapy practice catering to postpartum recovery. Welcome to my little corner of the internet, dedicated to helping women reimagine motherhood and find balance in this new stage of life.
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